Electrification of volcanic plumes

Volcanic lightning, perhaps the most spectacular consequence of the electrification of volcanic plumes, has been implicated in the origin of life on Earth, and may also exist in other planetary atmospheres. Recent years have seen volcanic lightning detection used as part of a portfolio of developing techniques to monitor volcanic eruptions. Remote sensing measurement techniques have been used to monitor volcanic lightning, but surface observations of the atmospheric electric Potential Gradient (PG) and the charge carried on volcanic ash also show that many volcanic plumes, whilst not sufficiently electrified to produce lightning, have detectable electrification exceeding that of their surrounding environment. Electrification has only been observed associated with ash-rich explosive plumes, but there is little evidence that the composition of the ash is critical to its occurrence. Different conceptual theories for charge generation and separation in volcanic plumes have been developed to explain the disparate observations obtained, but the ash fragmentation mechanism appears to be a key parameter. It is unclear which mechanisms or combinations of electrification mechanisms dominate in different circumstances. Electrostatic forces play an important role in modulating the dry fall-out of ash from a volcanic plume. Beyond the local electrification of plumes, the higher stratospheric particle concentrations following a large explosive eruption may affect the global atmospheric electrical circuit. It is possible that this might present another, if minor, way by which large volcanic eruptions affect global climate. The direct hazard of volcanic lightning to communities is generally low compared to other aspects of volcanic activity.     

西南三江碰撞造山带沉积岩容矿Pb-Zn-Ag-Cu贱金属复合成矿与深部过程

西南三江特提斯造山带中新生代沉积盆地中(沱沱河、玉树、昌都和兰坪-思茅地区)发育包括金顶超大型铅锌矿床在内的一系列以沉积岩容矿的Pb-Zn-Ag-Cu贱金属矿床,构成长达千余千米的青藏高原东缘贱金属成矿带。作为大陆碰撞环境成矿谱系的重要矿床类型,加强这些矿床的理论研究对提高和完善大陆碰撞造山成矿理论和指导找矿勘查等具有重要意义。已有研究表明这些Pb-Zn-Ag-Cu矿床的分布受盆地形成后新生代大型逆冲推覆-走滑构造控制,其容矿岩石和成矿作用特征与SEDEX和MVT矿床存在明显的差异,矿床成矿流体表现出多来源混合的特征,成矿与深部过程密切相关。尽管取得重要进展,但由于缺乏高精度年代学数据制约,成矿动力学背景及其与碰撞造山的时空联系存在较大争议。一些矿床的研究显示复合成矿迹象,但是复合成矿过程与深部驱动等问题仍不清楚。近年来我们以兰坪和昌都盆地的Pb-Zn-Ag多金属矿床和Cu多金属矿床为重点研究对象,系统开展了成矿年代学、成矿流体源-运-储系统和复合成矿机制以及深部过程对成矿制约等方面研究。结果表明,兰坪盆地西缘Cu(Mo)多金属矿床主要形成于48～58Ma,兰坪和昌都盆地Pb-Zn-Ag多金属矿床主要形成于27～33Ma。成矿流体表现出明显的多来源混合的特征,主要存在三种类型:1)变质流体与盆地卤水或大气降水复合成矿,以金满-连城Cu矿床为代表; 2)盆地卤水与大气降水复合成矿,以金顶Pb-Zn矿床为代表; 3)盆地卤水和岩浆流体复合成矿,以拉诺玛Pb-Zn-Sb矿床为代表。兰坪盆地西缘Cu矿床主要形成于新生代印度-欧亚大陆主碰撞挤压阶段,与成矿密切相关的变质流体可能来源于陆-陆碰撞俯冲引起的高压变质。Pb-Zn矿床主要形成于印度-欧亚大陆晚碰撞构造转换环境,构造挤压和造山隆起驱动盆地流体迁移,同期的岩浆活动主要为成矿提供热驱动力或成矿物质。     

Diffusion in momentum space as a picture of second-order Fermi acceleration

Energetic particles in a turbulent medium can be subject to second-order Fermi acceleration due to scattering on moving plasma waves. This mechanism leads to growing particle momentum dispersion and, at the same time, increases the mean particle energy. In the most frequently met situations both processes can be represented by a single momentum diffusion term in the particle kinetic equation. In the present paper we discuss the conditions allowing the additional term for regular acceleration to arise. For forward-backward asymmetric scattering centres, besides the diffusive term one should explicitly consider the regular acceleration term in momentum space, which can consist of the first-order (∝ V), as well as the second-order (∝ V²) part in the wave velocity V. We derive the condition for the scattering probability in the wave rest frame requied for vanishing the regular acceleration term and provide a simple mechanical example illustrating the theoretical concepts. Finally, we address its possible role in cosmic ray acceleration processes.     

微波爆发区的日冕磁场研究

回顾了日冕磁的研究历史，介绍了我们首镒提出的日冕磁场的微波诊断方法及其应用的带来的启迪，提出进一步开展日冕磁场及其相关研究的建议。     

A possible explanation of photon emission from supernova remnants by jitter radiation

We investigate a possibility that non-thermal X-ray emission in a supernova remnant(SNR) is produced by jitter radiation, which is the analogue of synchrotron radiation in small-scale random magnetic fields. We can fit the multi-wavelength data of SNRs RX J1713.7-3946 (G347.3-0.5) and RX J0852.0-4622 (G266.6-1.2) by constructing pure jitter and inverse Compton (IC) emission models. We find that the physical fit parameters of random magnetic fields take values of several tens of μG strength and of the order of ∼10⁷ cm correlation length. These properties of random magnetic fields in collisionless shock of SNRs are discussed.      

1961-2005年中国霾日气候特征及变化分析

利用1961-2005 年中国霾日统计资料, 对中国霾的时空气候分布特征、变化趋势进行了详细分析, 并探讨了霾变化的可能原因及其与太阳总辐射、日照时数变化的关系。结果表明: 近45 年来, 中国年和四季霾日的空间分布特征均呈现东多西少的空间分布态势, 东部地区集中在三个多发区, 分别为长江中下游、华北和华南; 季节变化, 除东北地区、青藏高原、西北西部四季霾日均很少且变化不明显外, 其余大部分地区均呈现为冬季多, 夏季少, 春秋 季居中的特点。近45 年, 全国平均年霾日数呈现明显的增加趋势, 2004 年为最高值。我国东部大部地区主要呈现增加趋势, 尤其霾多发地区, 如长江中下游、珠江流域及河南西部等 地, 霾日增加幅度大, 趋势显著, 人类活动造成的大气污染物增加及天气气候变化是这些地区霾日呈现增加趋势的可能原因, 我国西部地区和东北大部地区则以减少趋势为主。华北、长江中下游地区、华南地区霾日变化趋势与日照时数变化趋势相反, 霾的增加是造成太阳总 辐射减少的主要原因之一。东北地区、西北地区、西南地区、青藏高原霾日变化和日照时数变化均呈现不明显的减少趋势, 但由于这些地区霾日发生少, 其变化不会对日照时数和太阳总辐射变化造成很大的影响。     

塔克拉玛干沙漠腹地地表辐射与能量平衡

利用2013年塔克拉玛干沙漠塔中流动沙面地表辐射、土壤热通量、土壤温湿度和湍流通量观测资料,分析了沙漠腹地地表辐射和能量收支特征及闭合状况。结果表明：除潜热通量外,其余地表辐射各分量和能量平衡分量的月平均日变化结果整体均表现为标准的单峰型日循环形态,其中R_s↓与R_s↑变化同步,R_l↑、R_l↓滞后R_s↓0.5 ~ 1 h。各分量均表现出夏季高、春秋季次之、冬季低的季节波动性。干旱和极低的植被覆盖造成沙漠腹地全年潜热通量始终较为微弱,约占净辐射的2.8%,感热通量成为能量的主要消耗形式,约占净辐射的49%。偶尔的降水会刺激潜热通量突然增加。地表反照率相对较高且稳定,日变化呈早晚大、正午小的“U”型趋势,并具有明显的冬季高、夏季低的季节波动性,年均值0.28,月均值0.25~0.32。能量残差各月的日变化也均呈单峰曲线,日出后和日落前能量闭合程度最佳,并出现过闭合现象,全年夏季小,春秋季次之,冬季较大,月平均日峰值5.1~99.9 W·m^-2。土壤表层热储存是影响该地区能量平衡的重要因子之一,考虑表层土壤热存储后,地表能量闭合率达75.3%,能量闭合率夏季 > 春季 > 秋季 > 冬季,白天相比夜间有大幅提升。     

Earthquakes in Switzerland and surrounding regions during 2006

This report of the Swiss Seismological Service summarizes the seismic activity in Switzerland and surrounding regions during 2006. During this period, 572 earthquakes and 91 quarry blasts were detected and located in the region under consideration. Of these earthquakes, two occurred in conjunction with the construction of the new Gotthard railway tunnel and 165 were induced artificially by the stimulation of a proposed geothermal reservoir beneath the city of Basel. With 20 events with M _L ≥ 2.5, five of which were artificially induced, the seismic activity in the year 2006 was far below the average over the previous 31 years. Nevertheless, six events were felt by the public, most prominently the strongest of the induced Basel events (M _L 3.4), which caused some non-structural building damage. Noteworthy are also the two earthquakes near Cortaillod (M _L 3.2), on the shore of Lake Neuchatel, and in Val Mora (M _L 3.5), between the Engadin and Val Müstair, as well as the 42 aftershocks of the M _L 4.9 Vallorcine earthquake, between Martigny and Chamonix, of September 2005. Editorial handling: Stefan Bucher     

陡坡复杂扇体油藏评价思路与方法

本文以东营凹陷北部陡坡带为例论述了陆相断陷盆地陡坡复杂扇体油藏评价思路与方法。分析了陡坡带特殊性及复杂性,针对复杂扇体油藏精细等时地层对比、控砂机制、有效储层划分和油气分布的纵向分带性提出了有效的研究方法,并形成了一整套有针对性的勘探技术流程,在东营凹陷乃至济阳坳陷具有较好的推广前景。     

Current states of stress in the northern Andes as indicated by focal mechanisms of earthquakes

Systematic inversion of double couple focal mechanisms of shallow earthquakes in the northern Andes reveals relatively homogeneous patterns of crustal stress in three main regions. The first region, presently under the influence of the Caribbean plate, includes the northern segment of the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia and the western flank of the Central Cordillera (north of 4°N). It is characterized by WNW–ESE compression of dominantly reverse type that deflects to NW–SE in the Merida Andes of Venezuela, where it becomes mainly strike–slip in type. A major bend of the Eastern thrust front of the Eastern Cordillera, near its junction with the Merida Andes, coincides with a local deflection of the stress regime (SW–NE compression), suggesting local accommodation of the thrust belt to a rigid indenter in this area. The second region includes the SW Pacific coast of Colombia and Ecuador, currently under the influence of the Nazca plate. In this area, approximately E–W compression is mainly reverse in type. It deflects to WSW–ENE in the northern Andes south of 4°N, where it is accommodated by right-lateral displacement of the Romeral fault complex and the Eastern front of the northern Andes. The third, and most complex, region is the area of the triple junction between the South American, Nazca and Caribbean plates. It reveals two major stress regimes, both mainly strike–slip in type. The first regime involves SW–NE compression related to the interaction between the Nazca and Caribbean plates and the Panama micro-plate, typically accommodated in an E–W left-lateral shear zone. The second regime involves NW–SE compression, mainly related to the interaction between the Caribbean plate and the North Andes block which induces left-lateral displacement on the Uramita and Romeral faults north of 4°N.Deep seismicity (about 150–170 km) concentrates in the Bucaramanga nest and Cauca Valley areas. The inversion reveals a rather homogeneous attitude of the minimum stress axis, which dips towards the E. This extension is consistent with the present plunge of the Nazca and Caribbean slabs, suggesting that a broken slab may be torn under gravitational stresses in the Bucaramanga nest. This model is compatible with current blocking of the subduction in the western northern Andes, inhibiting the eastward displacement of slabs, which are forced to break and sink in to the asthenosphere under their own weight.